Box Score

EAST STROUDSBURG – Faced with a 2-0 deficit, East Stroudsburg University rallied to extend the match to five sets but was unable to complete the comeback in a 3-2 home defeat to West Chester on Friday night. Set scores were 25-20, 25-23, 24-26, 22-25, 15-9.

Sophomore Sarah Smith totaled a team-high 14 kills, 23 digs and five blocks for the Warriors (16-13, 6-11 PSAC), who faced a match point at 24-23 in the third set. A Smith kill and back-to-back block assists from sophomores Sam Dunphy and Jasmine Williams extended the match, and ESU pulled out another win in the following frame.

The Golden Rams (22-7, 11-6 PSAC), though, took advantage of nine ESU errors in the fifth set to secure the victory. Abbie Dischert (20 kills, 13 digs) and Karleigh Lutz (19 kills, 12 digs) led the way for West Chester, which avoided being swept in the season series by the Warriors for the first time since 2006.

Williams, who has been a force at the net all season long, finished tonight's match with a career-high 10 blocks. She is up to 111 for the season, a total which ranks as the second highest in ESU single-season history. Williams has tallied five or more blocks in 11 matches this season. Her 10 blocks are the most by a Warrior player since Caitlin Kuhn also had 10 back in 2008.

The Warriors had a 20.5-8 lead overall over West Chester in blocks. Senior Courtney Miller matched a season and career-high with eight rejections, Dunphy established a new career best with seven and senior Erica Cunningham set a new career best with six.

Senior Rosa Veliky paced ESU defensively with 29 digs, as she surpassed 20 for a fifth time in the last six matches. She is up to 1,120 for her career, two ahead of fellow senior Desiree Claxton for eighth in program history. Claxton supplied nine kills, 19 digs and three blocks on Friday.

Both teams struggled on offense, with the Golden Rams' team attack percentage of .077 just edging ESU's output of .075.

The Warriors, who have already clinched their most wins and first winning record since 2006, have one match left to close out the 2017 schedule. ESU hosts Cheyney at 1 p.m. on Saturday, with seniors Claxton, Cunningham, Miller, Veliky, Sarah Fillman, Lydia Redman and Maddie Reichard all set to be recognized prior to the final match of their collegiate careers.

Note:

Kuhn is ESU's single-season leader in blocks, as she totaled 127 during her senior year in 2008. Her 410 lifetime blocks also rank her as ESU's career leader.